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Jeff Strunk gets a big win and other short track news

Jeff Strunk battled back a solid field to win the $50,000 prize at Grandville. Photo by NASCAR

In recognition of the track’s 50th anniversary season, Pennsylvania’s Grandview Speedway presented the biggest race in its history Saturday night, offering $50,000 to win the annual Freedom 76 modified race at the third-mile dirt track.

Longtime track regular Jeff Strunk fought off a stellar field of locals and invaders to claim the largest payday of his racing career before a packed house at the Bruce and Theresa Rogers owned facility.

Money Man

Jamie Lathroum banked $20,000 for the biggest victory of his dirt late model career when he won Saturday night’s 33rd annual USA 100 at Virginia Motor Speedway.

Lathroum, the 2005 late model track champion at the state-of-the-art half-mile dirt track, held off Scott Bloomquist during the closing laps to win the 100-lap event, which was sanctioned by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.

“This is the biggest win of my career and to outrun Bloomquist, (Don) O’Neal and the rest of these guys is just unbelievable,” Lathroum said. “I have to thank my crew, everybody here at Virginia Motor Speedway, my family and the fans.”

Stranglehold

Donny Schatz has put a stranglehold on what had been the most competitive championship battle in series history.

Schatz collected two more victories, including his 10th victory of the season Friay at Clay County Speedway. He finished second to Craig Dollansky Saturday at Minnesota’s Deer Creek Speedway.

Seizing the point lead from Dollansky on Sept. 6, Schatz went on a tear, finishing in the top two in five straight races. He also has nine consecutive top fives at this writing. With 10 races remaining, the four-time series champion has a 96-point lead over Dollansky, who posted his eighth win of the season Saturday.

Rahmer's Ride

After more than six years, Hall of Fame sprint car driver and team owners Chad and Jenn Clemens went their separate ways.

Rahmer scored countless victories in the familiar No. 51 sprint car, but struggled through one of the most difficult seasons this year at age 54.

Rahmer will be replaced for the remainder of the season and next year by longtime traveling sprint car ace Paul McMahan.

Rahmer says he will not retire and will announce his plans for the 2013 season in the coming weeks.

“I’m really into the history of our sport and hearing all about Salem and all of the guys who raced here, I’m glad I got to be one of the guys to go to victory lane here,” Hessert said.

Dirt Down

Berlin Raceway’s transformation from an asphalt track to a dirt-covered showplace is complete. More than 300 truck loads of clay now cover the seven-sixteenths-mile oval in advance of the Keyser Manufacturing Down & Dirty 100, a $20,000-to-win World of Outlaws Late Model Series event Sept. 21-22.

Victory Lane

Brandon Sheppard and Dennis Erb Jr. claimed World of Outlaws Late Model Series victories at Belle-Clair Speedway and Federated Auto Parts Raceway, respectively…Daron Clayton, racing from 18thstarting spot, earned $10,000 for winning Saturday’s co-sanctioned USAC/Midwest Sprint Car Series race at Indiana’s Tri-State Speedway…Tim Shaffer banked $10,000 for winning the Jim Ford Classic All Star sprint car event at Ohio’s Fremont Speedway Saturday. Bryan Sebetto won Friday’s preliminary feature at the third-mile dirt track…Jason Johnson picked up the victory at The Dirt Track at Texas Motor Speedway in his 300th Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series event…Ryan Preece won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race at New York’s Riverhead Raceway…Brent Kirchner topped the ASA Midwest Tour late model race at Iowa Speedway…Nick Marolf won his first Deery Brothers Late Model Series race Friday at Iowa’s Farley Speedway…Bryan Clauson topped the Midwest Sprint Car Series event at Bloomington (Ind.) Speedway…Danny Stratton and Brad Kuhn won POWRi Midget Series features…Eric Heydenreich bested the ARDC midget field at Pennsylvania’s Williams Grove Speedway…The USAC National Sprint Car events scheduled Oct. 19-20 at Dodge City Raceway Park have been canceled and will not be rescheduled for 2012…Mike Spencer won the USAC-CRA sprint car race at California’s Perris Auto Speedway.